The joy of Autumn

Gorgeous Autumn weather has arrived here in the mountains of NC! I had forgotten about how amazing it is to see the hills and mountains turn into hues of yellow, red and orange as the leaves lose their green. It has been such a joy to take walks and drives with Toby and others, sharing in God's creativity. I want to take a picture everywhere I turn, but the pictures just don't have the same brilliance as the real thing. We have done a few projects with the leaves and photos though, which has been fun.


I really missed the Fall Festival at Grace EP Church in MD this year :( But we have taken in some other local Fall activities this month. Like pumpkin picking, Hey Day festival at our small zoo, painting and carving pumpkins, picking (mostly bug-infested) apples from our tree in the backyard, and hosting a Halloween party with some of our friends from church! Toby was thrilled to be Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story, "To infinity, and beyond!" and "Buzz Lightyear to the rescue!" he said as he flew around the house. It was Toby's first time participating in Halloween, and he had a blast! We made fun decorations and shared a great night with other preschoolers and their families.

I continue to feel so grateful for the community that God is providing for us here. There has been more strengthening of friendships as we share life and God's grace together. I was able to attend the one night Women's Retreat a couple of weeks ago (thanks to my mom for watching Toby!). It was so refreshing to be away, get quiet, hear from God, and deepen some relationships with sisters from church.

Let me take a moment to share how God met me. The topic that weekend was Godly manhood and womanhood. By the second day I was feeling overwhelmed and saddened with the reality that I would be teaching Toby about his manhood. That he had lost his awesome earthly model when Anton died. I was vulnerable and honest with my friends, and they supported and loved me well. Then we moved into devotional time. I was still very emotional, so I decided to look in Isaiah for the passage about how Christ is the husband to the widows, and father to the fatherless (a passage that I have clung to since we lost our husband and father). I couldn't find it, but in my search God lead me to this verse: He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. Isaiah 40:11 The Lord reminded me that HE tends his flock, that HE has brought me close to Him, that HE carries me, and HE promises to guide me as a parent. It is not about me, it is about Him. All I need to do is allow myself to be carried close to his heart, which is the safest most secure place to be.

It has been really wonderful to go to the weekly Women's Bible study at church too. For all the reasons I listed above about the retreat, but also to get to know the church body at large a little bit better, and to have some accountability to be in the Word more consistently. I am hoping to become a member at Trinity sometime in the next few weeks!

Let's see, what else to report...I still don't have a job. I have not found any part-time Oncology nursing positions that are currently open. So now I am trying to decide whether to wait a little while for something to open up in this specialty area, or to pursue a different area of nursing. There are pros and cons to both. God has shown his provision for us again, however. I am now receiving widow's benefits from Social Security, which I didn't quality for before because of my salary. It isn't enough long-term, but it definitely helps tremendously until God opens the door to the right job! Especially since our house in MD is still for sale with virtually no lookers. Just keep praying.

In more exciting news...Tobias Liam turned a big FOUR years old on Monday!!! I can hardly believe it, and neither can he. He keeps saying, "I'm four years old! But I don't FEEL four, and I don't look any bigger." I guess he expected immediate growth on THE day of his birthday :) We had a great time celebrating his big day. He and I went out to breakfast together, then he went to preschool. I came to his preschool mid-morning and shared pictures and stories of Toby throughout his life, as well as a tasty little snack for the kids (no refined sugar or chocolate allowed, so I had to get creative, decided on parfaits for my dairy-loving son!). That night we had a party at our house with Toby's grandparents and great-grandparents that live in town. There was NO lack of attention for this birthday boy.

The next day we celebrated with some of his friends from church. We met at our usual Tuesday evening hangout, the mall play area where they play and we all eat Chic-Fil-A together. This time there were a few extra friends, cupcakes, party hats, and some well chosen gifts.

Speaking of gifts, Toby got lots of great presents that he has thoroughly enjoyed already, and will continue to do so. But the most anticipated one (maybe for me more than him) was his bicycle! He really does love it, and has been pedaling like a pro (with training wheels of course)! Take a look at him riding on our front porch.

We were short on visitors this month, but my sister Molly did come for a weekend, which was a treat! It is really wonderful to have family nearby to celebrate birthdays and holidays with, and to lean on and give support to as well. But I am missing our dear friends, especially from MD, right now! Please know that you continue to be on our hearts and in our prayers. Til next month (or before)!